This industry needs many more people who stand up for what their brains actually believe, instead of more butt kissers and followers of those butt kissers.

Don’t get me wrong – I am not an expert brown-noser but I now make a thing of commenting on other people’s blogs hopefully sowing some pearls of wisdom.

You wrote this:
“It isn’t just about the patting on the back, it’s about leveraging the help of others and helping them in return.”

I did graduate from high school and learned that what you wrote means exactly “sucking up” to get something in return. That’s my entire point. It’s very wrong and is why the industry is in such a bad state of affairs. Of course it’s patting each other on the back and kissy-face. What else do you call it? LOL

It makes no difference if “you” actually know whether or not the SEO is actually good or not, but if they will in fact give you back something in return. That’s nutty stuff.

Also; yes; I think the firm called “TopPile” happened about 3 years ago. You give as an example the Enron fiasco. That was way different however. Enron covered up everything and were caught eventually. Toppile never EVER covered up the fact they were spammers. The SES conference “asked” TopPile to speak at the London SES knowing full well they were spammers. It didn’t matter at all to them. Just like the conferences right now…. does not matter at all if others hire these people “just because” they are speakers.

You all wonder why the industry has the bad rap, and are constantly scratching your heads because of it, but yet you all continue to hand out the bad stuff in SEO blogs around the internet, and constantly “scratch the backs” of other SEO’s as long as they give you “something in return”.

Please.

Also, 1, 3 and 6 are just good tactics and guidelines towards working your way up in the SEO community – This is about building relationships and friendships in the SEO community — You aren’t only a suck-up, you actually must bring VALUE VALUE VALUE.

As for the blackhat spammers at past SES conferences, I can’t speak for I haven’t been there yet — But always remember, in business – There are the black-hatters — Arthur Andersen for example as well as Milken. At the prime of their life, they were the most well-respected, god-like business people in the world. Michael Milken actually did end up living past his mistakes but Andersen’s firm is long gone …

This goes to show, reputation is EVERYTHING — Give back to the SEO/SEM community and we will see very bright stars shining through regardless of past discrepancies.

I agree with almost nothing that ever gets wrote in here, but allowing me to express that is appreciated. Note that I wrote I agree with “almost” nothing. A few things I have agreed with.

I stand by my opinion that this is the problem with this industry. You made my point by writing that if it wasn’t for your “buddies” at SES, you would never be where you are. I second that notion. :-)

To hell with real clients…. those who are not buying advertising from a SEO, but real clients who need real help with their websites. If they happen to go to a SES conference to find a good SEO, they are doing the right thing, right? If they simply hire the SEO who gets patted on the back the loudest by the most SEO’s out there, they are doing right, right?

You see; I don’t buy that line of thinking at all. Never will. This ain’t a popularity contest. Our industry makes it that to the detriment of the outside world. Is that a good thing? Nope. Why?

Because it leads to bad press from the outside in major newspapers who also start thinking it’s “who pats who on the butt”. It’s people like Jason Calacanis who see and read all the crap out there as well. He has no idea what real SEO is and is not, only because of the butt-kissing weasels in this industry who blur the lines with everything they do.

Just look at the list of “resources” posted in the OP. I’d say half are either constantly full of bad information, or they are the sites of pure blackhats. Is that healthy? Hell no.

Let’s not forget a blackhat spammer who use to be a speaker at SES, and who’s firm went out of business because of search engine spam. Was it a good thing that people actually hired that firm because they saw they were a speaker at SES? I don’t think so.

The industry can’t see the forest through the trees. It’s not getting better, but getting much worse as time goes on.

Actually; it makes me real sick to my stomach.